Off-duty cop killed by burglars; What went wrong?

[RioShooter]

What went wrong?


Off-duty cop killed by burglars; former 'Sopranos' actor a suspect


BY VERENA DOBNIK

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW YORK — An off-duty police officer was killed today in a gunfight with two burglars outside his home, and authorities said an actor from "The Sopranos" was a suspect.


Daniel Enchautegui, 28, a three-year veteran, was pronounced dead at a hospital following the 5:15 a.m. shooting, said Police Commissioner Ray Kelly.

He was the second officer to die in the line of duty in two weeks.

"This is a loss to the department and the city," said Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who joined Kelly at the hospital. "We now have another life to mourn, taken from us for no sensible reason."

The officer had returned to his Bronx home after finishing a late shift when he heard breaking glass in an unoccupied house next door, Kelly said. The officer first called his landlord, then called 911 to report a possible burglary.

The officer grabbed his off-duty weapon and went outside to investigate. His landlord heard Enchautegui shout, "Police! Don't move!", followed by the sound of gunfire, Kelly said.

The officer was struck once in the chest with a bullet from a .357-caliber revolver. Before collapsing in the driveway of the home, he returned fire and struck both of the suspects — one was hit twice, the other four times.

One of the suspects was identified by police as Lillo Brancato Jr., an actor who also appeared in several episodes of "The Sopranos" as Matt Bevilacqua, a mob wannabe who eventually was murdered. He made his debut in the Robert De Niro-directed film "A Bronx Tale" back in 1993.

Brancato was arrested in June for criminal possession of a controlled substance.

A police car on routine patrol arrested Brancato as he was getting into a car, police said. The second suspect, Steven Armento, was arrested as he ran from the scene. Police identified Armento as the gunman.

Both men were taken into custody without incident and were in serious condition, Kelly said.

 

[Atticus]

What went wrong? He didn't use the phone first...and he didn't have a shotgun in hand. He put six hits on two of them and still ended up dead.

 

[pax]

The officer was struck once in the chest with a bullet from a .357-caliber revolver. Before collapsing in the driveway of the home, he returned fire and struck both of the suspects — one was hit twice, the other four times.

By all rights, he should have had his honor guard to Valhalla.

pax

 

[Manedwolf]

I'd posted a NYT article about this on Legal, etc... Apparently he had a Kahr with him, (9mm?), but the article called it a "KHR"

It said he hit one suspect twice in the chest, the other four times, chest, abdomen, groin and thigh. They were both able to run around a bit...but yes, even though hit, he still managed to nail them both close to COM, and if that was a 6-shot Kahr 9mm, he got them with every one.

He better get an honor guard, alright. And if either of those scum survive, they need to fry. Does NY have death penalty?

 

[Manedwolf]

By all rights, he should have had his honor guard to Valhalla.

pax

Damn right.

 

[AnthonyRSS]

Any man that can get shot and still return fire and score COM hits deserves respect. Maybe he should have shot first and then yelled 'police'?

 

[IRONFIST]

It seems that the actor who was involved in this crime, and who was also shot by the slain officer, wasn't armed and didn't actually shoot at the cop. In my book, that changes absolutely nothing. If you are committing a crime and someone dies, bottom line... you are responsible. I feel for the officers family, but it is also too bad that this young actor has thrown his life away as well, and all for the love of drugs. I read that he was the burglar who took two in the chest and that he is now in critical condition. I saw him first in the Robert Deniro gangster movie "A Bronx tale" and was impressed with him, and the production. I think he also played the radio operator in the Gene Hackman submarine movie "Crimson tide". I don't know anyhing about the cop who died, but I know he was a hero for confonting these losers.

 

[Steve in PA]

What went wrong? He didn't use the phone first...and he didn't have a shotgun in hand. He put six hits on two of them and still ended up dead.

"The officer had returned to his Bronx home after finishing a late shift when he heard breaking glass in an unoccupied house next door, Kelly said. The officer first called his landlord, then called 911 to report a possible burglary."

 

[Oldtimer]

What went wrong?

Not knowing all of the details, all I can do is point out "possibilities" of what went wrong.

#1: Two burglars! The off-duty officer may have had his attention divided, and distracted away from the suspect who was armed.

#2: I hate to say this, but the officer supposedly called the landlord THEN 9-1-1. That's "bass-ackwards", in my opinion. You want to get the "cavalry" on their way FIRST, before you call anyone else.

#3: I also hate to say this, but it sounds like the officer WOULD have been more effective by being a "trained observer" from the safety of his own home. The incident was a BREAK-IN, not a shooting in progress....until he entered the picture.

#4: Sad to say, but the officer was still relatively "new" to the police profession, with only 3 years.

#5: This is the BIGGEST item, in my opinion. New York city has some of the most restrictive gun laws of any major city, especially the laws regarding handguns. I worked with a former NYPD officer, who had 5 years experience there before he quit, and he said that he had NEVER confronted an armed suspect during those 5 years! He claimed that even the bad guys knew the handgun laws, and would usually toss their guns away instead of tangle with New York's finest.

While I've "vented" with my feelings and thoughts about this particular incident, here's another one, but it's somewhat different:

The off-duty officer was a "seasoned" veteran of over 15 years of service, with the LAPD. One of his neighbors called him, stating that there was a "prowler" that had been looking through the windows of several homes. The officer told that neighbor to call 9-1-1, which they did, then the officer stepped out of his own home, with a revolver and flashlight. There were no witnesses, but apparently the officer DID confront the "prowler", and a short gunfight ensued, with the officer being mortally wounded. His death went un-solved for 15+ years, and the main detective involved had retired by the time it was solved. A "Jailhouse snitch" was responsible for steering the attention toward the killer, and a very diligent homicide detective followed-up on the info. When the killer was confronted with the case, he was already on "Death Row" for some other crime, and almost BRAGGED about having killed the off-duty officer! (That same killer is STILL on "Death Row", and even though he admitted to his deed, it didn't speed up the process of having him executed!)

What went wrong? Well, maybe it boils down to the fact that police officers are mere mortals, and make mistakes!

 

[rmgill]

He probably called the landlord first to confirm if there were any workers coming by for an emergency plumbing job or something.

 

[Omni04]

I think Oldtimer summed it up perfectly IMHO

 

[Borachon]

The policeman is hero. No doubt about that.

His death also points out another fact that has been pointed out here before. Even though shot with a .357 once in the heart, he still had time to shoot 6 times before collapsing. One stop shot rating on a .357 is pretty high I've heard, and I doubt we are going to hear many arguing that .357 isn't enough gun, so I think it illustrates the point that shooting someone who is trying to kill you once is never a good idea. If it's worth shooting once then it is worth shooting twice. Bullets are cheap.

I'm glad in this case the suspects didn't follow up with a second shot, or didn't have time to follow up with a second shot, because it means they might have escaped. But I think that each of us should thank Officer Enchautegui for serving us still by giving us a chance to learn lessons from his sacrifice.

 

[Keith Wheeler]

The policeman is hero. No doubt about that.

.... If it's worth shooting once then it is worth shooting twice. Bullets are cheap.

I'm glad in this case the suspects didn't follow up with a second shot, or didn't have time to follow up with a second shot, because it means they might have escaped. But I think that each of us should thank Officer Enchautegui for serving us still by giving us a chance to learn lessons from his sacrifice.

The line about "if it's worth shooting once then it is worth shooting twice." That's my mantra. I don't know how many times I've told my wife that. It's great to talk about one shot stopping power and how manly it is to have that .454 Casull that'll stop an Ent in one shot, but talk is cheap, bullets cheaper.

On "what went wrong"? Yes, perhaps he did not play out the scenario the "best" way, BUT do not kid yourself the best equipment, training, skill does not mean you will always win. In my other passion, sports car racing, a lot of times the fastest guy with the best car shunts out, or makes a mistake. In racing 99.9% of the time we get to climb over the roll cage and say "that's racing". In self defense? Well, even the best trained good guy can get killed.

The man died a hero. Yes, we should all learn from any perceived mistakes, but sometimes the bad guys win, perhaps not the war, but they do come out on top in some battles.

 

[magyvor]

What went wrong was........

A good guy got dead.

When I read about things like this, all I can say, think and feel is that I am proud of the fact that there are people in the world like this Officer.

We can debate about what went wrong, he shoulda did this and that...but the bottom line is because him, and others like him who step up to criminals and and in effect say "THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE AND I WILL DO MY PART TO STOP YOU", the rest of us have a chance to learn, and hopefully do our part when and if the time comes.

Thank you Officer.........

 

[gunsmith]

what went wrong is

criminals have no fear in NY, no death penalty, period!
criminals know that cops probably won't shoot first & they know the folks living in the home or the folks they rob on the street are un armed & frightened sheep.

 

[Erinyes]

criminals have no fear in NY, no death penalty, period!
criminals know that cops probably won't shoot first & they know the folks living in the home or the folks they rob on the street are un armed & frightened sheep.

Actually, NY does have the death penalty. Has had it since 1995 IIRC.

 

[BloodyBucket03]

What went wrong

What happened is another good LEO lost his life doing what's right. In my eyes that officer is a hero and performed his duty as an officer honorably. Although it's too bad he didn't have a rifle or shotgun handy at his place because if I was in his shoes I would have went in there with either at AR15 or a Mossberg 500. If he had either I think that officer would have had a better chance of survival. Possibly he did not have those type of firearms at his place and I agree that New York's gun laws suck and the officer did what he had to do. I salute him.

 

[mete]

He was carrying a Kahr 9mm which is approved for off duty use by the NYPD.There is no sure thing regardless of what gun you have or if you're wearing body armor.It's a risky job .We lost a trooper near Pittsburg and a constable in Montreal this last week. They put themselves on the front line and have my highest respect for it !!

 

[jsalcedo]

Cop is killed in shootout

He hears a break-in, takes bullet to heart, still shoots both thugs

This story was reported by: JEGO ARMSTONG, VERONIKA BELENKAYA, ALISON GENDAR, BOB KAPPSTATTER, JOSE MARTINEZ, LISA MUNOZ, DON SINGLETON and TRACY CONNOR
It was written by: TRACY CONNOR


Daniel Enchautegui


Maria Enchautegui (c., with scarf) and Pedro Enchautegui (below in hat), parents of slain Police Officer Daniel Enchautegui (above), mourn the loss of their son at his Bronx home.

An off-duty cop who interrupted a break-in next-door to his home was killed yesterday in a blazing gun battle with the two burglars - one an actor who starred in "A Bronx Tale" and "The Sopranos," authorities said.
Officer Daniel Enchautegui, 28, took down the suspects even though he was mortally wounded with a hollow-point bullet in the heart - shooting thespian-turned-thug Lillo Brancato and ex-con Steven Armento several times before collapsing in his Bronx driveway, cops said.

"It looks like every bullet he fired hit these guys," a police official said.

Brancato, 29, who was plucked from obscurity by Robert De Niro as a teen and went on to play a string of mobsters, and Armento, 48, a lowlife pal from Yonkers, were hospitalized with serious injuries.

The pair may have been hunting for a stash of dope they wrongly believed was in the house next to the cop's home, police sources said.

Enchautegui, a Bronx native and three-year NYPD veteran, died at Jacobi Medical Center, becoming the second cop killed in the line of duty this year, just two weeks after Officer Dillon Stewart was gunned down in Brooklyn.

"They took my son away from me," the hero's mom, Maria Enchautegui, told the Daily News, as family and members of New York's Finest consoled her.

At the hospital, a grim-faced Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly praised the young officer for his "bravery and dedication" in confronting the burglars while off-duty.

"He did everything he could just as he was trained to do," Kelly said. "For the second time in two weeks, we witness almost incomprehensible courage of a police officer."

Enchautegui had finished his 4 p.m.-midnight shift at the 40th Precinct and returned to his rented apartment at 3117 Arnow Place in Pelham Bay when he heard the sound of glass breaking about 5:20 a.m.

He looked outside and realized someone was trying to bust into a vacant basement apartment in the house next door, so he told his landlord and called 911 on his cell phone, Kelly said.

Enchautegui took pains to describe what he was wearing so he wouldn't be mistaken for one of the criminals. He put his police shield around his neck but did not have his bulletproof vest with him.

Once outside, he encountered the suspects, identified by sources as Brancato and Armento, both of Yonkers. "Police! Don't move!" the cop yelled at the duo, according to his landlord.

Brancato was unarmed, but Armento allegedly opened fire with a .357 Smith & Wesson that apparently belonged to his late father, hitting Enchautegui in the left side of the chest and piercing his aorta with a hollow-point bullet.

Still, the officer managed to return fire, emptying his off-duty .25-caliber pistol in what Kelly described as a "fierce gunfight."

Two officers from the 45th Precinct, Josue Sepulveda and Courtney Mapp, heard the shots and raced to the scene, where they caught Brancato as he climbed into his bloodied Dodge Durango, police said.

Two other cops, Sgt. Michael Hurley and Officer Paul Maldonado, drove up and grabbed Armento, who was dripping blood down Arnow Place as he tried to get away, the murder weapon still in his hand, police said.

Moments later, Enchautegui was found faceup in the driveway of his home, barely clinging to life - the gun next to him, his cell phone in his hand, his shield still around his neck.

He was rushed to Jacobi, where he was pronounced dead at 6:09 a.m.

Mayor Bloomberg said that even though Enchautegui was off the clock, his murder would be considered a line-of-duty death because he was trying to stop a crime.

Both suspects underwent surgery.

Brancato was in critical condition with two torso wounds.

His lawyer, Harvey Kaminsky of White Plains, said neither he nor Brancato's parents were allowed to see the suspect. Kaminsky said he planned to seek police permission to visit his client.

Armento was shot five times - in the stomach, chest, shoulder, leg and groin - and was in serious condition.

Sources said both men have criminal records.

The actor has two misdemeanor arrests, including a bust for heroin possession six months ago, and Armento has done at least four stints in jail.

Brancato made a splashy debut at age 16 with a star turn in 1993's "A Bronx Tale" as the teen torn between his bus driver dad, played by director De Niro, and the neighborhood mob boss, played by Chazz Palminteri.

In 2000, he scored a plum gig on "The Sopranos," as Matt Bevilacqua, a stockbroker and Mafia wanna-be who gets rubbed out in spectacular fashion by Tony Soprano. He also appeared in the TV miniseries "Falcone."

Enchautegui, by contrast, wanted to be on the right side of the law.

"Since he was a little boy he always wanted to be a cop," cousin Eddie Feliciano, 34, said at the cops' parents home a few miles away in West Farms. "This was his dream."

 

[MICHAEL T]

Still, the officer managed to return fire, emptying his off-duty .25-caliber pistol in what Kelly described as a "fierce gunfight."



Somebody needs to check their facts. Unless Kahr makes a 25 and NY says their ok for off duty.